


Countdown to Heartbreak

by Arytra



Series: Funding the Future Universe [2]
Category: Power Rangers, The West Wing
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-13
Updated: 2017-02-13
Packaged: 2018-09-23 23:36:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9687461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arytra/pseuds/Arytra
Summary: Rosslyn happened.  Countdown to Destruction happened.  And they happened one right after the other leaving Kim alone in a city with an injured Josh and an overworked Donna to help steady her.





	

Kim glanced up to see Donna looking at her nervously. She felt a twinge of confusion, knowing full well that any sense of formality between her and the White House Assistant had fled months ago. Donna knew more about the Power Rangers than anyone who wasn’t a Power Ranger and even some who were. She had the feeling that the fact that she didn’t have to meet with President Barlet constantly had to do with Donna relating information back to the president of which Kim was eternally grateful. Not to mention that while Fitzwallace was her supervisor, she had a habit of running to Josh for help as he knew her past and he knew politics. “Josh! How do I put it that I need a shuttle clearance to space by like tomorrow?” “Josh! I need the govenment to look the other way with a spaceship coming and going.” “Josh? I might need to rehome a kid that definitely was never a Ranger and only knew about them. How would I do that?” Fortunately, Josh enjoyed talking and explaining, something that Donna had quickly let her in on, so she was able to get away with it. So when Rosslyn happened, Kim was devastated but pulled herself together to be there for Donna. Their already blossoming friendship had been forged in fire during that time. So for Donna to be approaching her as if Kim would bite her head off wasn’t a good thing. “Donna?” She asked. 

Donna held out Kim’s communicator. “You left it in Josh’s office,” she said. Kim wasn't sure why Donna thought she'd be mad about that since it was her fault for losing it. Again. She tried to give her a placating look to calm her down and started to assure her that she wasn’t upset when the communicator spoke up and she understood the actual reason behind Donna's actions.

“Donna?” Jason’s voice rang through. Kim's heart nearly stopped when she heard the panic he was trying to hide. “Were you able to find her?”

“Jason?” Kim asked and Donna squeezed her arm, still looking as worried as she had before. She had the feeling the older woman knew what was going on.

“It’s Angel Grove,” he said. “They’re under attack. Aisha said she saw something in Africa before she went dark. Kat said the same for England. Something stalking them. You need to get somewhere safe.”

“You think they’re going after former Rangers?” She asked.

“Rita knew who we were,” Jason answered. “I have Trini and Zack with me. Aisha and Kat both called in to tell us what they saw, but yes. They're after us. I’m checking on the others. Get somewhere safe. Donna! Get her somewhere safe.”

“I will,” Donna promised. To the older woman's surprise, that seemed enough for Jason. She looked at Kim. “We're safe here. It's the White House.”

Kim shook her head. “If they’re after me, I can’t put the president at risk.”

Donna grabbed her arm and thought for a minute. “Come on. We’ll go to Josh’s.”

“I don’t want to put him in danger either,” Kim reminded her. “Or you. You shouldn't be anywhere near me!”

“I need to keep an eye on both of you,” Donna said, ignoring her.

“Josh is still laid up from Rosslyn,” Kim reminded her. “How much trouble can he get in?”

“It’s Josh,” Donna answered and Kim had to agree with her. Just like there was a part of her that wanted to get away from her friend, but a lone Power Ranger wasn't in the best place to fight, no matter what idiot Sixth Rangers seemed to think. She didn't have her team and she didn't have her powers. So when they were attacked before they made it to the car, she had already decided that the Universe wasn't playing fair. She didn't recognize the newest version of a Putty, but she was pretty sure she was being attacked by Quantrons. Donna let out a minor scream of surprise and Kim frowned. “Really?” She asked. “This is so not what I wanted to do today.”

She didn’t have superpowers anymore nor a team and within five seconds, she missed them. She did, however, have the skill set for this and the memories of how to fight. It wasn’t as easy as it had been, but they went down after a few minutes. Both women made it to the car and Donna floored it to Josh’s. Kim sat back and pulled out the communicator. “You were right,” she said softly into it. “Let me know when everyone calls in.”

***

Donna was extremely nurturing which was good because Josh was terrible at it. Fortunately, even Josh didn’t try to cheer up the morose young woman as she clutched her communicator and waited. Kim had heard Josh tell Donna not to let Kim leave and Donna had given him the look that told him he'd said something stupid. The news Kim got wasn’t great, but it wasn’t the worst either. All of them were being hunted, kept apart so that they couldn’t help in Angel Grove. It was a smart, if horrifying plan and fortunately no one had been killed yet. She called in when she was supposed to and then waited.

“Why isn’t it on the news?” Josh asked, snapping at Donna who rolled her eyes.

“It’s never on T.V. If it was, then we wouldn't have to help cover everything up,” she reminded him. “And even if it was, we wouldn’t be watching it. Neither of you need that stress.”

“They probably can’t broadcast out the of town,” Kim said quietly. “They’re trying to keep us out of Angel Grove. Keeping the military and anyone else out is something they’d do too. It’s easier to take down a broken team if no one can help them.”

“They’re broken?” Donna asked and Josh’s mouth tightened in remembrance that Power Rangers were about Kim’s age or younger. She gave a small smile.

“They’ll win, Donna,” she promised. “I just want to help.”

“You are helping,” Josh said. “If you weren’t here, who would be the liaison and get things done? And those things are obviously tracking you or we would have heard something.”

Kim nodded but Donna bit her lip. “If they do fall,” she said. “What happens then?”

“They won’t just be after me anymore,” Kim answered. It was a very long night.

***

Morning came and Donna was annoyed that neither of her charges seemed to have slept that night. She wanted to be angrier about it but Josh was distracting Kim in his own way of being an ass and Kim was fighting back. Donna had heard the call ins with her patients. Everyone was safe. So when a younger voice got on, Kim felt nearly panicked.

“They’re asking for the Astro Rangers,” the voice cried out. “Angel Grove isn’t giving in. They’re doing the Spartacus thing.”

“How?” Jason asked. Josh and Donna were leaning in to hear what was going on. Donna squeezed Kim’s hand which the younger woman reciprocated. 

“Bulk and Skull,” came the answer. “They rallied Angel Grove, but they’re going to kill them!”

“Justin!” Jason’s voice came out. “Keep your voice down or they’ll hear you.”

There were several voices in agreement. Kim wasn't sure if it was better or worse that she couldn't hear what Justin had to say. After a minute, it didn't matter anyway as Justin finally broke though. “It’s okay,” he said as Kim felt a bit of relief kick in. “They’re here.”

Kim leaned back and clutched the communicator. The voices cut off however and Kim heard screaming from outside. There was a slight pause for a second, as all of them acknowledged the sound. Kim reacted the quickest due to training. Josh gave Donna a look, but the older woman missed as Kim pulled away from her and raced out the door. Donna was on her heels as Kim looked at the Quantrons coming up the walk ignoring Josh's yells of protest. Kim stood ready as Donna touched her arm. Before Kim could tell her to get back inside, one of the Quantrons rushed in and Kim kicked it away from Donna. Another tried from the other side and she knocked that one away too. When a vase blew by her head toward one coming up behind her, she whirled around. To her surprise, Donna was throwing everything she could think of at them.

“Get away from her! Shoo!” Donna yelled and Kim couldn't help but to smile a bit. With how many there were, Kim was grateful for the help. She was even more grateful that Josh was still inside.

“Duck!” Kim said and was glad that Donna quickly obeyed. Kim's eyes narrowed at the one who'd shot at her friend and made quick work of it. It wasn’t a long battle. There was a moment when the world seemed to freeze. She felt a pull and then all of the Quantrons turned to dust. Donna looked at her in confusion but it was only matched by Kim’s look. They stumbled back into Josh’s apartment as he looked at them. 

“Are you two insane?! Donnatella Moss! I told you to grab her not, you know, join in! And Kimberly Ann, you're an idi...” he started but Donna cut him off.

“You got up and watched!” Donna accused.

“I’m in bed,” Josh argued.

“You were up! Otherwise you wouldn't have known I was involved!” Donna argued. “You know the Rules.”

Their voices faded as Kim started to realize what she’d felt. She reached over, grabbing the communicator but it was silent. She leaned back in her chair, nearly falling out of it which pulled Donna and Josh out of their argument.

“Kim!” They called. She barely heard them. Donna took her hands as Josh looked on. The older woman managed to meet her eyes. “What happened?”

“Zordon is dead.”

***  
Donna had protested to Josh that the last thing Kim had needed was to have to debrief to Fitzwallace. “Stop looking at me like that,” Josh said. “There’s nothing we can do. It’s her job. And I didn’t make her go.”

“She said he was like another father, Josh!” Donna argued. “And she has to go and clinicly…”

“She doesn’t have to be clinical about it, Donna. She isn’t a soldier. But he needs to know so they can help Angel Meadow…”

“Grove.”

“Whatever clean up,” he said. “And so we can officially send her back faster.”

Donna looked at him and gave a small smile. “I get so used to you being, we’ll, you and you say something like that,” she said as her eyes teared up. Josh just waved her off before he finally fell asleep. Donna stayed up and made sure that she was there in case Kim needed to call.

When Kim got back, about a week later, Donna wasn’t surprised that she headed straight for Josh’s instead of the White House. Unfortunately for her, Donna was,at the White house during that time which meant that the two were dealing with Josh’s awkward check in. “So, are you, you know, okay?”

“Been better,” she answered. He blinked and she rolled her eyes. “Unlike you, I’m not just going to insist I’m okay when I’m not when a friend asks. Besides, my other friends never let me get away with it.”

“I’m letting you,” he tried, not wanting to be bombarded by her feelings.

“Josh!” She exclaimed. He gave her a cheeky grin and she rolled her eyes. “Donna let you out yet?”

Josh paused. “If I say yes, are we going out?”

“Not without Donna here to confirm,” she answered.

“Then no,” he answered. Kim managed a smile and a slight laugh which Josh matched. After a minute, he looked at her more seriously. “It gets easier.”

“What does?”

“Losing your father,” Josh answered. There was silence for a minute.

“Really?” She asked, her voice still soft. Josh shrugged. She nodded. “Angel Grove is a mess.”

“Did you lose anyone else?” He asked.

“No,” she answered. “We lost more civilians than usual, but it could have been worse.”

“I don't get how you can be so calm about that...” Josh said, his voice getting heated. Before he could add to that, she quickly cut him off.

“Josh, the first time we found out someone died because we weren't there fast enough? Or worse, that they weren't prepared for our Zords, the giant robots, so an entire building of people were caught in the rubble when it collapsed? I cried for three days. My parents didn't know what to do. They talked with the others' parents and decided that we must have seen something, but they were ready to send me to therapy so I had to hide it,” she snapped.

“Maybe you should have...” Josh started and Kim glared at him.

“And tell them what?” She asked. “If you're keeping a secret, it kinda ruins it if you tell people things. We're fine now anyway.”

Josh wasn't too sure about that, but he nodded anyway. Donna would probably press it if it was important. “So it's over?”

“For now,” she said. “That's why I came here, remember?”

“Yeah,” he answered. There was silence which was fortunately interrupted when Donna came rushing in, pulling Kim into a hug.

“I'm sorry!” She said. “I couldn't get away!”

“It's okay,” Kim said. “Josh was here.”

“I am so sorry,” Donna repeated herself and Kim giggled. Josh glared at both of them. “How are you?”

“We're all going to be okay,” Kim answered. “It was too quiet with all of them. I think that was reason enough for all of us to bolt the minute we could.”

“Why?” Donna asked.

“Three or more Rangers at a reunion shouldn't be quiet,” she answered. “Manic is a better word. Chaotic works. Possibly willing to break the laws of man and science. But not quiet.”

“One of these days, we really need to meet your friends,” Josh told her.

“Yeah... let's wait on that,” she answered. “Do you mind if I stay here tonight?”

“Do you want the couch or floor?” Donna asked before Josh could say anything.

“Yes, she can stay at my house. Thanks for asking,” Josh grumbled. Both women ignored him.

“I'm glad you're back,” Donna said.

“Yeah,” Kim said. “Me too. Thank you, both of you, for what you did.”

“You shouldn't have to thank people for protecting you,” Donna told her firmly and Kim squeezed her hands. Josh rolled his eyes.

“Just don't be stupid enough to run outside again next time,” he grumbled. Kim grinned back at him.

“I can't make that promise, but you couldn't promise that you wouldn't get shot again either. I know because I tried five times,” she said. Donna rolled her eyes.

“Dinner,” she said firmly to both of them and Kim just felt herself relaxing a bit. Maybe Josh was right. Maybe it would get better.


End file.
